Elderly and frail - blue badge?

@BlankTimes, a good example of how you never seem to be able to get it right.

5 years ago I left my mum in her new shletered flat whilst I set off with dodgy man with van to pick up more of her stuff. Get back and she was gone. Dodgy van man comes up trumps and insists on driving me around neighbouring streets. Finally we locate her in Tescos sitting on a chair happily drinking a cup of tea with a very young looking assistant manager in attendence. She had decided to go shoppng and forgotten where she lived. They added her to "their list". People in that part of the South Coast are brilliant with the elderly.

A year or so later I drop her off at the same Tescos and tell her to wait by the trolleys whilst I park the car. Get back and she is gone. After a mad sprint down the aisles I find her. She has worked out she has gone shopping but forgotten what she wanted, and that I was with her.

Her mobility has decreased so I am more likely now to leave her in the car if I need to pick up one or two things. No doubt this wont work either.

Its a five hour round trip and there are inevitably other chores, so my best has to be good enough.

@MurielsBottom @Needmoresleep I agree with both of you, I think there should be exceptions in cases like yours when you NEED to be as close as possible to the BB holder who has as we say 'run out of legs' and needs to be able to see you if possible when the safest place for them is in the car.

I was in the supermarket carpark, had just parked in a BB space for my relative, and in the next BB bay was a white van with a very distressed elderly gentleman in it. He was waving a brick phone and saying he was calling but no-one was coming and they'd gone left him alone. He was shaking and nearly in tears.

I tried to reassure him, often phones don't work in some supermarkets, told him i was going to get help and dashed into the store and found an assistant who straightaway shot out with another staff member to see him. Minutes later there was a tannoy announcement for the white van reg. no. to contact the staff so it was sorted.

I never did find out exactly what happened - not my business, but I'd guess his carer was in similar circumstances to you.

There are an awful lot of elderly where my mum lives, and people tend to be astonishingly aware, kind and tolerant. One reason why I did not try to move my mother to London, closer to me. I doubt very much that a traffic warden would get arsey should I pop into the chemist with an 89 year old sitting in the car. So I would take the risk, and appeal if need be. Or, on a bad day, suggest they tow the car with my mother in it

We are lucky in that we could afford the occasional fine, and indeed can afford to use taxis as an alternative. Many/most people acting as carers are not in this fortunate position. It is so hard. and more to Muriel and others.

Yes you need to complete a form which asks about specific mobility issues.

BlankTimes I stand corrected. However I am in a similar situation to Needmoresleep in that sometimes we go somewhere, GP and then chemist and DH is just physically unable to get out the car. I need to be with him. The errand I am running is his (although it expressly says about this). I do feel that there should be some recognition about situations like this.

I remember reading a thread on mumsnet a year ago where a parent said they used their blue badge like this and people agreed that was ok. However, as BlankTimes rightly points out the rules do not support this kind of activity.

Saying all that we are hugely grateful for the blue badge and I will endeavour to use it according to the rules.

Not a motability car.

If you are correct I assume the people behind the Blue Badge scheme have no direct experience of caring for severely physically and mentally handicapped people. Getting my 89 year old mother in and out of a car is very difficult. Yet health and other services expect her to go to them not vice versa, and they expect family members to do the lions share, even if they live some distance away. Perhqaps I coud lend my mother to someone behind this scheme for a morning and let them try to cope.

@needmoresleep I'd check if I were you, it would be awful if a traffic warden passed by or she was otherwise reported for abuse and she lost her badge.

If however there's something in the rules and regs that say she should be within your sightline and it's fine for her to be left in the car , then you'll definitely know what to answer with if you're challenged.

I think but am not sure that there may be some confusion about being the designated driver of a motability car. In that situation, it is possible to use the car for errands solely for the disabled person even if they are at home. Again, do check, there's too much conflicting advice and individuals' interpretations to rely on online info.

I have read your link and am not sure it is so clear.

You cannot use the badge whilst running errands for a disabled person, but the document does not necessarily seem to preclude nipping in to a chemist, say, with a prescription whilst the disabled person is in the car and within sight, on your way back from the GP. Being able to do that would make a big difference given most trips to the GP involve me coming down from London on a flying visit. And manoevering DM out of the car and onto her walker/into a wheelchair is is quite a lot of additional effort.

@MurielsBottom please see my post above. You have misunderstood how a Blue Badge should be used.

As I understand, it can be used whenever he is in the car, even if we arrive somewhere and dh is not well enough to get out, I can do the errand on his behalf.

You should not use the Blue Badge for your own convenience, it's for the Badge Holder to park say on yellow lines or in a BB space to make their walking distance much easier.
The Badge Holder must get out of the vehicle if you're parked in a Blue Badge eligible spot.

If the disabled person is not getting out of the car, no-one else in the car needs a Blue Badge space.

You need to download and read this, carefully, link below.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638526/blue-badge-rights-responsibilities.pdf
You should not use the badge to allow non-disabled people to take advantage of the benefits while you sit in the car

The you in that guidance quoted above refers to the badge-holder, which is the disabled person.

Definitely apply for the blue badge. We got one last year for dh and it is life changing. As I understand, it can be used whenever he is in the car, even if we arrive somewhere and dh is not well enough to get out, I can do the errand on his behalf. It belongs to the person not the vehicle as dh has used it when he has been out in his friend's car too.

We found the process really simple. Online application, three weeks later an appointment with a hugely helpful assessor and he had the badge a week later. The person who did the assessment works for the council as an occupational therapist and also put us in touch with the team who make adaptations to your home.

Also at the time dh had not his pip confirmed so the badge was awarded purely on his physical ability.

For the person that was asking about her dm with dementia - I do believe that this is taken into account and people are awarded blue badges if they cannot be left alone even for a minute due to safety.

Thanks. My impression was that her Council expected the application to be done on-line. Because of the dementia there is no chance of my mother filling in anything, whilst she now uses her walker to get round her flat, and she would struggle with even a curb, let alone steps.

I have a target of a piece of her admin a day. Perhaps this can be todays.

You can now apply online

bluebadge.direct.gov.uk/bluebadge/why-are-you-here

No-one is interested in doctor's notes anymore and many surgeries won't do them as they know this. The online form basically divides you up into automatic award or straight to assessor.

My mum did hers, put her details in and had the assessor as she didn't fall into one of the groups that automatically gets a blue badge.

As a previous poster has said, lots of elderly people overstate their abilities so the assessors really work in elderly people's favour as they are very fair and cut out a lot of the 'I can walk a fair bit' - how far is that? or 'I can walk 100 yards on a good day' when they haven't had a good day for 2 years.

My mum loves her blue badge, it's changed her life as she can go out to so many places now.

I understand that the holder must be travelling in the vehicle and intending to get out of it once parked in order for the badge to be used.

That is my understanding, though I am prepared to stand corrected if necessary.

Most of the info you need is here.
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/197719/can-i-get-a-blue-badge.pdf

First thing to get is a letter from the GP supporting the Blue Badge application.

I found our local Council Customer services centre were very helpful, they'll fill the form in for you and even take a photo to use on the back of the badge for ID.
If your relative can get there easily, it may be an option.

Take the doctor's letter and and copies of all the other supporting documents you need which are :-
Their national insurance number
Their driving licence.
Proof of their identification e.g. a birth or marriage certificate, a driving licence, a passport or an ID card
Proof of their address e.g. a letter from their bank or a utility bill
A photograph of them (Our Customer Services lady took it on a camera connected to their computer, so don't worry if you don't have one) They were happy with copies of the documents but I took the originals just in case.

Explain their condition in as much detail as possible Describe how their condition affects their daily life and your mobility. Try to estimate how far they can travel without assistance, (see below, leaning on a person or a trolley for support is not 'without assistance') how long it takes them to travel this distance and how travelling this distance without assistance makes them feel e.g. if it causes pain, makes them feel out of breath or dizzy, etc

Please be careful filling in the above details, older people particularly want to paint the best picture of themselves and if they say they can "walk round the supermarket without help" they'll likely not be given a badge but if the truth is more like this, then describe exactly what happens. e.g. They need a hand getting out of the car and need a wider space to open the car door fully so you can help after you've got the trolley for them to lean on then they can be supported by the trolley whilst they look at a few things whilst you run round the aisles getting all the things that are needed that trip, then take the relative to the courtesy seating whilst you check out, then they lean on the trolley to get back to the car.
Also describe how they manage indoors, do they use a stick or rollator or zimmer frame, need a grab handle on steps etc.

Sometimes, when the form has been submitted, the person it's for will be asked to go for a Mobility Assessment Interview by the Council's trained physio or OT or other trained professional.
It's not torturous and the assessors are very kind. They ask a few questions and in our case observe the person walking back to the car , noting how long it takes, how unsteady they are, if they get breathless etc.
They cannot give you an answer there and then, it's not solely their decision.
We heard a week later we'd been successful, the timeframe will be dependent on how many cases are being dealt with at any one time.

Good Luck I hope you are all successful. As I've said above, it's how you answer the questions that can make a big difference.

@Needmoresleep
People can and do get Blue Badges for disabilities which are not "can't walk 50 yards". Possibly might be more difficult.

Ah. My mother has Alzheimers, so I cannot leave her. In the car or outside.

It would be simple to drop her off outside the GPs, where there is a convenient seat, and look for parking, but she would be gone by the time I got back. (Has happened...) Finding parking and then trying to get her to walk any distance is equally problematic. This is on the South Coast where there are an amazing number of disabled spots and a real shortage of paying ones. So it is not unusual to have a 20 minute walk to the dentist from the nearest parking, or to have to exit the hospital parking and park in the town centre, if you cannot access disabled spots. And parking anywhere near the beach on a sunny day without access to disabled parking is impossible.

It seems - I assume I am late in working this out - that I need to apply here. And it seems that the Alzheimers is not a reason, I will need to prove the physical disability. Here's hoping that given she is 89 they will believe me. (I hate going to the GP for sginatures. It is a practice with a large number of elderly and they must spend a big proportion of their time signing forms which are very little to do with medicine.)

Thanks for the help.

The badge goes with the person, not the car.

No, it can't be used by others undertaking trips on their behalf. I can't use my father's badge to pick up his prescription.
Neither can I park in a BB bay, leave my father in the car, and go to pick up his prescription.
I am capable of walking, therefore I park elsewhere, leave him in car and pick up his prescription
The BB holder must be in the car unless they are being picked up or dropped.

Thanks. At one point I emailed the council but never got a reply. I will try agan.

(Now that spring is on its way I feel up to tackling lower priority admin tasks I parked ages ago. Perhaps one day I will feel on top of this POA stuff.)

Worried- the holder would have to be travelling in the car for badge to be used